We stopped by Eklutna on a cool, rainy day at the end of April. In most parts of the U.S., spring had long since arrived, but here, 30 minutes north of Anchorage, the trees were still bare, and patches of snow lay on the ground.

To celebrate Earth Day, here are a few of our favorite pictures from our time in Alaska and from the road trip that brought us here. These photos plainly illustrate just how quirky, fragile, and beautiful our planet is:

I’m a sucker for museums large and small, and in Bethel, we found a good one–the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, which celebrates the history and traditions of the Yup’ik, an Alaskan Native people who have occupied the Bethel region for centuries.

“Suck the meat off bones.”

Colorful panels cover an exterior wall of Bethel Regional High School. Obviously created by students, they seem to be answering some question that was posed to them. Responses vary, ranging from poetic:

“Hope will come, and we will be waiting,” and “Call the sun beautiful”

…to concrete and honest: “Passing my classes,” “Basketball is the most beautiful sport of all,” and “I don’t know.”